I'm part of a group of volunteers planning a big Girl Guide camp this summer. We received the dietary restrictions for the participants and several red flags and warnings are going off in my head. There are multiple children wishing to attend camp with food allergies but do not have autoinjectors!! We have several 'mild' allergies to multiple priority allergens on the list. Plus a bunch of other weird things, like an allergy to a specific processed food (what ingredient causes the allergy?)

Obviously, we will be contacting every parent to get more details (is this an allergy/intolerance/preference/OAS, if not specified otherwise) and ensure our menu will meet their dietary restrictions, but what information can we pass onto these parents to make them realise the danger in dismissing food allergies as mild and not sending Epi with their child to camp? This camp is approximately 30 minutes away from emergency medical services.

I have been fighting this allergy education battle within this same group of people for years. I do not feel safe serving them food if they have known allergies and no autoinjectors (or emergency action plans), no matter how careful we are in the kitchen.

I would appreciate any links to simple and concise documents that you think parents would read and truly learn about the dangers and appropriate/recommended care for someone with food allergies. (Besides the list of people who have died from anaphylaxis - I don't want to use scare tactics.)

Background: Many of these parents have not reacted well to my (polite) requests for EpiPens in the past, going so far as sending signed notes telling me to ignore the allergy on their health form and serve XYZ food to them anyway because they eat it at home or don't want to be excluded (despite an available safe alternate). Some have removed the allergen from their health from completely because they know I will ask for EpiPens at events with food. But then where do I stand when a girl breaks out in hives and vomits because of this? (Because another leader was told by the parent to let them eat XYZ food, despite my objections.)

_________________anaphylaxis to tree nuts and peanuts; asthmatic, dairy intolerant, vegan
other family members allergic to to dairy, egg, peanut, peach, banana, sesame, environmentals

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